Saturday women's health fair in Albany to focus on importance of cancer screenings

Alan Mauldin, The Albany Herald, Ga.
·2 min read

Oct. 25—ALBANY — From dining out to masking to conducting social interactions, the COVID-19 pandemic altered a lot of people's everyday activities. And for some people, the inability to access health services temporarily has grown into a habit of postponing preventive screenings.

A year after a drive-through women's health fair brought out 450 participants, the event is moving back indoors with the idea of getting people back on track for those important health checks. The event, sponsored by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, with health screenings from 8-10 a.m. at the Albany State University West Campus, 2400 Gillionville Road.

"We have seen this year where ladies are catching up with their mammograms," Keisa Mansfield, Phoebe's manager of clinical research, genetic testing, oncology outreach and oncology wellness, said. "During the pandemic, some people had other priorities. Some of them didn't get their mammograms last year or even the year before. We are seeing some (catching up) but not like we should.

"Because this is our first year back in-person since 2019 due to COVID, we really want ladies to get on track on thinking about their health. A lot of people didn't get screenings because they didn't go out."

The health fair will offer the setting of a hair salon, a place where many women develop close relationships and share information, Mansfield said. The annual health fair for women has been held for at least 15 years.

Phoebe's men's health fair, held around Father's Day, has used a barber shop theme for several years.

"The salon is a safe haven for a lot of women," Mansfield said. "A lot of them have conversations they don't even have with their family. It's a comfortable place. They become friends with their stylists, and they share personal things with their stylists. We feel like it's a good place to have these conversations."

Hair stylists also can recognize when a client is having a health issue due to changes in their hair, Mansfield said, and some practice trichology, which is the analysis of hair to identify causes of hair loss or other hair issues.

Phoebe will be assisted in administering the glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure checks by nursing students from Albany State University and Albany Technical College.

While October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the fair will address more than that.

"It's a little bit more — breast, lungs, overall cancer screening," Mansfield said. "We're going to hit on some other screenings as well, colon and cervical."

Women who attend also will receive fresh vegetables from Flint River Fresh in Albany and one of the event's popular annual T-shirts.